Giving a hoot about Canadian music

Review- “I Can’t Keep All Of Our Secrets”- Rae Spoon

reviewed by Michael Thomas

It’s early in 2012, but Rae Spoon’s I Can’t Keep All Of Our Secrets may be an early contender for one of the year’s best albums.

Spoon here is a little more electronic than usual. And while electronic music doesn’t come up as the first genre people think of when they think “emotional,” Spoon injects some folk sensibility to make it work spectacularly.

While Spoon takes care of the guitar and synths, he gets some help from Scott Munro, bassist for Ghostkeeper and Ryan Bourne among others. Munro’s bass grooves are a huge part of what makes so many of the songs on this album catchy.

The album’s first three songs are the most upbeat and infectious. Opener “Ocean Blue” is fluid (just like it’s namesake) and features the hook “Ocean blue, I don’t usually swim/But I followed you in, boy.” Meanwhile, “Crash Landing” is a song full of nostalgia and memories, with lines like “You were wearing my shirt/We were holding plastic guns.” The title track, while groove-able as well, is a tad wistful, sounding like a song about the end of a long friendship. This is perhaps the most poignant song on this album which was written after the death of one of Spoon’s friends.

The majority of the album afterwards is a more sombre affair, especially the song “When I Said There Was An End To Love I Was Lying.” The song title should speak for itself.

Spoon makes creative use of Autotune in the two songs “London Destroyer” and “Ghost of a Boy.” The latter warps Spoon’s vocals so much it sounded like a ghost was actually singing the song, giving it an extra haunting quality.

“Curse On Us” and “Ice Caps,” respectively, finish off the album on an emotional note. The former is particularly lovely, featuring the very memorable (and adorable) line: “I only met you today but I want to sleep next to you.”

This is how electronic music should be made. Rae Spoon has proven that even a genre of music usually devoid of emotion can include just that.

I Can’t Keep All Of Our Secrets is available today, January 10th, on Saved By Radio. Check out Spoon’s website as well.

[…] attempt to get back to nature amid the synthetic sounds of synthesizers. There have been plenty of electronic albums that have been emotional albums. But bands like Pick a Piper and now Gold & Youth take […]